He's Just a Kid With a Stick
by FlamingGoldfish24
Summary: Little did Tony know that Jack Frost was so much more than that. When the two cross paths the Winter spirit might just prove to be more than Tony and the rest of the team can handle, but with darkness closing in they're running out of time...
1. Chapter 1

**I've been wanting to write a crossover for this, so here it is! The perspective jumps around a bit, but I won't have to do this once I get the whole plot up here. Hope you like it!**

* * *

"Oh man, did I outdo myself this time." Jack muttered, arms crossed, his staff tucked in the crook of his elbow. He was perched lazily on the roof of a skyscraper, standing precariously on the ledge, grinning. New York City was spread out before him, a heavy dusting of fresh snow whirling wildly down on the bustling city.

"Let's see what's next…" He murmured, glancing around. Nine days left to complete Operation White Christmas and only the East Coast left to go. With a chuckle Jack heaved himself off the ledge head-first, skimming the surface of the windows and leaving a trail of frost as he flew. He breezed by a couple street corners before jerking up, hitting the sidewalk in a stumbling landing. Frost spiraled around him at the touch of his bare feet, following him as he wandered along the busy sidewalk, dodging the people that hurried past him, unseeing. Jack knew they'd pass right through him but that didn't mean it was pleasant, and it was instinct to move aside anyway.

"Been a while since I've visited New York." Jack muttered to himself. Sure, he made his way overhead a left snow behind, but he never took time to actually_ visit_. To look around and see everything, and simply enjoy himself. He studied the skyline as he walked, then froze. "Well that's new." He murmured to himself, eyes wide in awe. With a faint smile playing at the corner of his lips he caught a sharp gust of wind, shooting up to the rooftop above him for a better view. There was something like a plane in the air, but that wasn't what caught his eye.

"Woa…" Jack murmured. In the distance the letter A of the Avengers Tower shone brightly.

* * *

"God damnit." Tony muttered, "JARVIS, where is he?"

"Above us, Sir, twenty meters to the right." Tony swerved in the air, the Iron Man armor glimmering as he banked right, his eyes darting back and forth between the sky and the notifications onscreen.

"Alright, JARVIS, time for a little fun." Tony chided with a grin. He raised one hand, the thrusters charging as he struggled to get an aim on the target: a practice drone. Tony had lost track of how many times Fury had told him not to practice over the city but _hey_, since when did Tony Stark ever do what he was told? The drone suddenly dropped off and Tony followed closely, maneuvering along over the buildings. Small clips of bystanders pointing and watching flashed in the corner of his vision but Tony had learned how to tune those out, focusing on the job at hand. "Full power to the rear thrusters, and send out the left flank missiles." There was a short sparking sound and then a stream of smoke blasted out, headed by a pair of flashy red missiles. The drone swerved again, this time to move away from the missiles, swinging in to make an attack. Tony evaded easily, skirting along the sky in an effort to get a better angle for another shot.

"Sir." JARVIS piped in suddenly, "It seems we have a jumper."

"What?" Tony snapped, somewhat distracted by the approaching drone. It was on the attack now, as it had been fully programmed to be a challenge.

"A Jumper, Sir." A video clip enlarged to take up part of Tony's vision, and he spared a glance at it, multitasking easily. There was a boy at the edge of a rooftop, looking down over the city. There was some sort of stick in his hand, but Tony was far more concerned by the way his bare foot was getting closer to the ledge and the way he was leaning towards the fall.

"Shit." Tony blurted, stopping short and snapping around, "Cut all excess functions and patch the extra power to the thrusters." Tony shot through the air like a bullet, flattening himself to gain speed. The boy hadn't made a move to jump yet, but he was shifting ever closer, one hand in the pocket of his hoodie. "I swear to fuck if this kid-" He jumped. Tony made a sharp growl as the boy's foot left the roof, shooting one last burst of power to the thrusters and jetting forward, smacking into him with all the force of the suit, sending them both rolling back onto the rooftop.

"What _hell _are you doing?" Tony demanded, as soon as he was on his feet. The boy sprang up fiercely, that stick in his hand raised defensively, eyes narrowed under a head of white hair. _The hell kinda kid is this? _Tony wondered, raising his guard a little. The final boost of power had zapped the suit, and there were power warnings flashing on the screen.

"Funny, I could say the same to you." The boy ground out. He faltered for an instant as he took in the suit, surprised that it was just a man made of metal. There was a heartbeat of tense silence before he spoke again. "There a man in there, or are you just a big tin can?" In response Tony raised the mask with a sharp _clank, _revealing his face_._

"Care to explain to me what business a kid has jumping off a roof?" The billionaire demanded. He had almost said _committing suicide,_ but somehow couldn't bring the words to form on his lips. He crossed his two suited arms with a _clunk_, looking somewhat like a scolding father. The boy looked stricken for a moment, his blue eyes seemingly torn between blurting it out and shooting back some sort of quick comeback. He settled for neither, crossing his arms and mirroring Tony's stance.

"I wasn't jumping I was-"

"Sir, the drone seems to be closing in." JARVIS announced quickly.

"Shit."

"_Excuse_ me?" The boy asked, glaring. Tony had missed whatever he had said, but he didn't have time to worry about that.

"Duck in cover, kid. And I swear to God if you jump while I'm not looking I'll resurrect your ass just to throw you over myself." And with that Tony turned, not leaving time for argument before he dropped his mask back down and began checking the situation. In the top left of his vision _Power at 65% _was flashing. He had recently installed a re-charge that automatically restored power during lulls in battle, and it was slowly taking affect. The targeting system was tracing the approaching drone, options for firing listed along the side.

"You wanna play? Tony muttered, "Let's play." He shot off the roof, barreling into the drone and sending it careening backwards.

* * *

Jack watched in shock as the metal men battled in the air, completely confused as to what was happening.

"Yeah_ right,_ likeI'm waiting here. In your dreams, Tin can." Jack caught a gust of wind, staff in hand, and darted towards the fight, blasting ice at the enemy. They seemed to both be enemies, but the immediate threat seemed to be the larger silver creature. Robot? Jack wasn't up to date on technology. The red one, though he was a jerk, didn't seem to be much of an enemy.

Ice clung to the joints of the silver robot, cracking along the arm and jolting it so that the missiles it fired ended up missing, just skimming past the Red Guy's head.

"JARVIS shut down the practice program." The electronic voice came from the Tin Can and Jack raised a skeptic eyebrow.

"This thing is just for _practice_?" Jack demanded. The Tin Can, hovering on the fire blasting out its hands and feet, moved to face him. Words that Jack would never care to hear again dropped in a stream from his helmet as he jerked back in surprise. Finally he ended with a reluctant,

"Funny but this isn't the weirdest thing I've seen." They were interrupted by a flash in fire that darted between them, the two dodging away simultaneously as the drone came at them, arms raised and weapons ready.

"JARVIS?" Tin Can demanded.

* * *

It took a moment for Tony to get a reply, and that was never a good sign.

"Sir, it seems that the program is malfunctioning."

"Oh that's just peachy." Tony muttered, "Kid, I don't know what the _hell_ you are or what else you can do but this is a game for big kids, so get out of here for a minute."

"Who'da thought a Tin Can could have such a foul mouth?" the boy marveled sarcastically, making no move to flee as the drone swung a fist at Tony. It was programmed to only attack the Iron Man armor, and thankfully it seemed to be sticking to that at least. There was a _click _as the drone raised one charging hand, getting ready to fire. The boy tried to move in to help and Tony snapped to look at him, taking his eyes off the drone even as it battered against him.

"Kid, get outta here-"

The drone fired.

Tony jerked backwards and smashed into the rooftop, burrowing into a man-shaped crater in the concrete.

"Ah, God…" The billionaire growled, sitting up with a groan. The drone landed heavily on the other side, stomping his way towards him, weapons raised. And then suddenly there was a head of white hair between them.

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**So..good? bad? so absolutely terrible you wanted to set your screen on fire? please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Short chapter to finish up the action. Sorry I suck at fight scenes T.T but this is just a buffer before the next chapter. NEXT CHAPTER: STEVE AND MAYBE A FEW OTHERS MAKE THEIR WAY IN :D**

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"This is why I hate kids." the old tin can ground out, voice sounding almost like a buzz. He was struggling to get up, chinks of red armor dented from the impact.

"Well aren't you a ball of sunshine." Jack shot back, not even glancing at him as the drone lumbered towards him. He raised his staff as a warning, eyes narrowed. He'd seen all sorts of new technology being developed throughout his life, but he had never had to fight anything like this before, nor had he seen a metal man face to face. He swore he recognized the other suit from somewhere, but the drone was a mystery. Was there person inside that one? It didn't seem like it. Just the red and gold one housed an actual man.

"Who might you be?" Jack asked, sounding oddly casual and still not glancing over. He couldn't afford to look away while silver robot was stepping dangerously close.

"Iron man." His red and gold companion answered arrogantly, as though it should be obvious.

"And the man under the mask?"

"Tony Stark. Wish I could say that it's nice to meet you but it seems we're a little busy at the moment." The drone's attention seemed to snap at his name, swinging in at the pair. Jack lunged left, swinging his staff and sending a burst of ice crackling through the air.

"The name's Jack." He answered, grunting as he danced away from the robot. The drone followed and Jack spiraled upwards into the sky, landing behind the drone and touching a hand to its back, sending frost down the cold metal. The drone whirled and with a hard _crack_ a metal arm drove against Jack's shoulder, sending him cartwheeling backwards over the side of the building.

* * *

Tony darted after him, ready to spring out to catch him but just as he reached the ledge the kid sprang back up, impossibly hovering in the air.

"Nice trick." Tony muttered, and though he sounded sarcastic he was secretly impressed. The drone shot by and Jack made a clumsy scramble into the wind, rocketing away with the drone at his heels. Tony balled his hands into fists.

"JARVIS," he commanded, "begin a signature scan on that kid. I wanna know what the hell he is." Tony had already broken into the drone's coding and wild streams of numbers and warnings were flashing brightly in front of his eyes,

"Yes, Sir." There was a short pause before the AI continued with; "Sir, it seems the problem with the Stark Practice Drone was triggered by an outside source. " Tony blinked in surprise. It wasn't often that someone tried to mess with him, let alone get into his technological systems. A blast of blue from overhead drew his gaze and he stared, eyes wide. That head of white hair was struggling against the machine, gnarled stick in hand. Jack was putting up a fight, but one pause and the drone raised a glowing hand. At the last second the kid turned and met the attack, the two exploding at each other with a blinding power. With burst of white and the kid was falling, the stick slipping from his dead fingers. The drone was falling from the sky in pieces, all connections with the Iron Man suit abruptly going dead.

"_Shit_." There was a rush of smoke as Tony launched towards the scene, arm outstretched and jaw clenched. The staff whirled and he managed to snatch it in one hand, the other making a grab for the boy, managing to get him by the back of his hoodie, scrambling to heave him up into a suitable position.

"The staff," Jack demanded in a panic, "Where's my staff?" there was blood dripping down from his hair, strange marks burned his cheek as though the fire had touched ice. The two were losing altitude as Tony struggled to keep his grip on him.

"Calm it down a notch, dammit!" The billionaire shouted, handing the stick over. Like a bolt of electricity had struck him the boy was out of his arms as soon as his fingers met the wood, hovering a few feet away. A second or two passed as the pair seemed to take in the small victory. Jack was glancing around before looking up, smiling sheepishly.

"I think I might have…uh...broke it."

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**so yep, pretty short! But I've already finished the next chapter and it'll be up when I'm done putting the finishing touches on it :) **

**ALSO! I have a tumblr so if any of you want to contact me or anything I can give it to you :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Figured we need a chapter to explain JARVIS being able to see Jack, hehe :)**

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"You seriously live _here_?" Jack asked, wandering around Tony's lab. His fingers somehow found their way onto anything that held his attention for more than a second, his eyes exploring the technology that overwhelmed the room. He touched a hand to a little contraption, flinching guiltily as a piece snapped off. Thankfully Tony wasn't paying any attention, too distracted by the mess of metal spread before him on the table. It was the remains of the drone they had managed to gather up from the street, all the heaps of wire and lights. To Jack the parts were nothing but garbage, but Tony knew the purpose of every wire, ever spared chip of silver. He could at least use the materials on another project, so it wasn't a total loss.

"You should see the house in Malibu." The billionaire shot back, idly swiping at his tablet.

"Where's Malibu?" Jack couldn't help but ask. He'd seen the world, flown across many borders, but the one barrier he'd never been through was the door to a school. Needless to say, geography wasn't his forte, and he preferred to stay away from the warmer parts of the world anyway. Tony froze mid-swipe, setting the tablet aside.

"You don't know where _Malibu_ is?" He demanded, eyeing him. Jack took a casual step back, his grip instinctually tightening on his staff.

"It's…one of those beachy places, isn't it?" He muttered.

"Every teenager knows where Malibu is!" Tony pressed suspiciously. Jack suddenly regretted having tagged along back to the lab, but it wasn't like he had a choice. He'd been determined to bolt as soon as the drone was down for the count, but Tony seemed to have sensed his plan, keeping an irritatingly close watch on him. The billionaire hadn't threatened to stop him but Jack hadn't needed a threat to know his position. He'd caught the attention of someone too big to take on by himself. Bunny would be a bit surprised at his position; he'd probably give him a stern talking to later. Jack decided it'd be best to keep the day's events to himself.

"What's your deal, kid." Tony demanded, acting nonchalant as he rose from his chair. Jack met his eyes with a glare. He found himself wondering the same about this strange man. He _saw_ him, had touched him. That meant he believed, right? And that voice in the tower, what had he called it? JARVIS? That thing knew he was there too. Jack didn't understand it, and like many things he didn't understand his first instinct was to shut down, protect himself. He heaved his staff onto his shoulder, just for show, as the two circled each other. Tony had taken up Jack's habit, his eyes wandering over the variety of machines and holographics, pausing a moment to flip through a mess of hovering lights. What was projecting that? Jack frowned and studied the area closely, noticing the strange dark square on the ceiling. Tony certainly did have some pretty cool stuff in here. Dangerous stuff, too.

"I kinda figured you'd go the silent route." Tony admitted, shrugging as he flicked and swiped his fingers in the air. A holographic body appeared, tall and somewhat scrawny. "So I had JARVIS run a little signature scan on you." Jack's jaw clenched. Could he trust this man? This wasn't Jamie; this wasn't a handful of kids. This is someone who could do actual _harm_. What would he do if he found out about the Guardians? He flipped his staff down and leaned on it lazily.

"And?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing at all?"

"Not much. You don't show up on most of our scanners for some reason. Hell, if JARVIS didn't have thermal imaging I'd never even have known you were there." He tightened his fingers then pulled them back and the holographic body expanded with the gesture. "JARVIS, show the thermal imaging scan at this moment."

"Yes, Sir."

"Hey-!" Jack argued. There was a pause before an overlay of colors fell over the body, a variety of dark blues and a touch of green.

"Your body temperature's too low." The billionaire stated matter of factly, "Deathly low. Technically speaking, you're a popsicle."

"If my body temperature is so low how did your machine know I was a living person?" Tony looked insulted.

"What part of _genius_ didn't you get?" He had programmed JARVIS to detect _gods_, a kid (ice-cream treat or not) is nothing. He wasn't going to mention anything about the gods, though. Need to know basis, isn't that what Fury always said? Not that he ever listened to the guy.

"I detect a touch of modesty." Jack answered sarcastically.

"Thanks, I try. Also: not going to get off that easy. "Jack sighed.

"Look. I've always been this way. As long as I can remember." That wasn't_ entirely_ a lie, and Jack prayed that this man would believe him. He already believed _in_ him. The billionaire snorted. He'd drop it for now, but Tony was the type that tended to get into everyone business. He already had JARVIs running a check for anyone matching this kids face, what more could he do for now?

"Sir," JARVIS announced, "It seems Captain Rogers is here."

"oh Damn." Tony muttered, scratching the back of his head.

"Who's that?"

"My nanny."

* * *

**Review? Please?** **Finally get to make Jack meet Steve! Next chapter woo!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hmmmmmm...another chapter! I tried making it longer .**

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"Tony what were you even thinking! Fighting a practice drone over the city?" Steve demanded, pacing around Tony's plush white carpet. "Civilians could have been hurt!" The TV was on, the news flashing over the enormous flat screen. Headlines scrolled over the bottom reading: STARK OUT OF CONTROL? THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF DAMAGE DONE TO CITY. But that wasn't what worried Tony at all. What worried him was the fact that a certain head of white hair wasn't in any of the clips he should be. There was an empty spot where he should have been hovering, and at one point his arms were empty when a certain ice-cream treat should have been in them.

"Not that this isn't exciting," Tony remarked snidely, "But I'm gonna pause this for just a second." With that he turned on his heel and quickly headed down the hall, leaving Steve dumbfounded. He wasn't sure which floor this was, Stark Tower wasn't made for someone from his time, it was so high tech, so _new_. Tony slammed the door in his face.

"Care to explain why you don't show up on camera?" Tony demanded, stalking forward. Jack snapped to his feet, eyes wide at the billionaire's sudden return. He had left smiling but now the man seemed alarmingly angry, his dark eyes narrowed. Tony had decided that, all things considered, Jack should stay hidden while Steve was in the Tower. It wasn't necessarily hiding, or at least that's what the young Guardian told himself.

"What do you mean _show up on camera_?" He shot back irritably. Tony rolled his eyes.

"The news tends to broadcast things like robot fights over the city. They got the whole thing on camera. Except for _you_." Jack shrugged.

"Well, I didn't know I wouldn't show up on camera." It was the truth. Who would try to film someone they didn't even know was there? It made him sad somehow, though he thought he was used to being invisible by now.

"Like hell you didn't know." Tony muttered, "You're full of secrets aren't you, kid." There it was again. _Kid_. It was like a biting sensation that stung in his ears. Jack was older than this _boy_could even imagine. Tony Stark was a child compared to the three hundred years Jack had spent wandering the world. He stalked towards him, staff in hand. He didn't like the tone in the man's voice, like he was a liar, like he was worthless. _Full of secrets._

"What if I am?" The two glared at each other, Jack's eyes glinting under his white hair.

Steve was standing close to the door, straining to hear the voices that whispered behind the wood. He couldn't quite make it out, but it sounded like Tony was talking to someone. He leaned closer only to jump back guiltily when the door swung open, Tony nearly smacking into him. The billionaire blinked in surprise, hastily slamming the door behind him.

"Problem?" he asked snidely. Steve crossed his arms like a disapproving parent.

"This is serious, Tony. You destroyed part of the city, endangered the public, and now you just want to run off to hide in your room whispering and-"Steve sputtered to a sudden halt, face flushing a vibrant shade of pink. "You have a girl in there, don't you."

Tony nearly choked.

"Oh gosh. I mean is she-? And you-Does Pepper know?" Tony rolled his eyes.

"Steve, there's no one in there."

"Then who were you talking to?"

"JARVIS." Steve's eyes narrowed, obviously disbelieving. Even in his civilian clothes the man was dangerous looking, towering over the billionaire with his brown leather jacket, white undershirt and styled blonde hair. Tony stifled a chuckle. _Yeah right_, dangerous like a golden retriever.

"This isn't a joke, Tony!"

"Really?" The billionaire quipped, "Gee thanks, Captain Spandex. I've seen the error of my ways."

"Move."

"Huh?"

"I said move, I want to know who you were talking to."

"Why don't you make me?" Tony challenged, glaring daggers. Steve returned the look with full power, jaw clenched. It vaguely reminded him of a time not long ago, and that gave his heart a quick squeeze. They were friends now, and it was painful to be so angry all the time. It was nature, he supposed. If Tony was fire than Steve was a cool glass of water, the two meeting and creating nothing but hissing steam.

"JARVIS?" Steve asked, somewhat tentatively, "When was the last time you interacted with Mr. Stark?"

"Last point of interaction was 35 minutes and 22 seconds ago." busted.

"Thanks a lot you useless hunk of wires." Tony muttered sarcastically.

"You're welcome, Sir." Steve would be darned if the A.I didn't sound a bit smug. With a scowl the super-soldier brushed by and opened the door, Tony at his heels. The room was huge, typical of Tony, with an enormous king size bed and sleek black furniture. It was empty.

"Hello?" Steve called, glancing around. There was no answer, no sign of any life in the room. So if there was no one here, and he wasn't talking to JARVIS...then who _was_ he talking to?

"Tony...are you okay?"

"What are you talking about?" Tony glared at the super-soldier as Jack moved to his side, staff in hand.

"Ah, Tony?" the kid muttered, "This guy...he can't..." The billionaire whirled on him, frowning. There was a strange look in his blue eyes, something like sadness and disappointment all in one. It almost looked like Jack had just taken a punch to the gut.

"He can't what?"

"See me." For once Tony was stunned into a moment of silence.

"What do you mean _he can't see you?_" he demanded icily. The kid didn't meet his eyes.

"How can he not see you? You're standing right here."

"Tony…?" Steve whispered, "There's…no one there…"

"You shut up." The billionaire growled, rounding on Steve. Now that Tony wasn't watching him Jack instinctively lurched away, blue eyes wide and white hair flopping with the movement. This was not good, very not good. He carefully edged towards the window, ready to make a break for it if necessary. It would only hurt a second, right? Jack had broken out a window before and _hey_, it's better than staying here if Tony had a meltdown.

"JARVIS," Tony murmured, Jack's movement drawing his attention back to the boy, "How many people are in this room?"

"Given all current scans and life signs I must conclude that there are in fact three people in this room at the moment." Steve blinked in surprise, glancing around as if this mystery person might suddenly appear. What was going on? Still, Tony wasn't finished yet.

"JARVIS, project the current body signatures."

"Thermal imaging, Sir?'

"Yeah, that should be fine." There was a pause before three holograms materialized overhead, transparent blue that flickered to life inside a scale model of the room. Two warm colored bodies stood close to each other, spots of red, orange, and yellow. But Tony was right. There was a third hologram, all dark blues and greens that stood close the window, body tense as though waiting for a fight. Steve's eyes darted from the hologram window to the real window. A pair of blue eyes stared back.

"You're-I mean-" Steve stuttered, hand vaguely pointing at the boy who had seemingly appeared out of no where, "Tony, who is this?" The boy was staring at him with a mirror of the super-soldier's wonder. Tony had made him believe, made him _see_. It took the young Guardian a moment to remember how to speak.

"The name's Jack. "

"Steve Rogers." The man muttered, stepping forward and offering a hand to shake. Jack eyed it warily, uncertain of this new development. He still didn't trust Tony, let alone Tony's…nanny. The guy looked like an all-American pretty-boy. But he _saw_. Jack took the offering with a breathless smile of relief when the hands touched. _Tangible_.

"Nice to meet you I guess." Steve answered. My gosh, the boy's hand was like ice, leaving the super-soldier's chilled to the bone. Jack grinned apologetically, seeing it on his face.

The guy had a brisk, firm handshake that reminded himof Bunny. What would the other Guardians say if they knew where he was? Would they worry? Jack couldn't shake the feeling that they wouldn't even notice he was gone. North, maybe, but that's because Jack spent the most time with the older guardian. They were winter companions, and Jack never hesitated to pay a visit.

Steve was pretty sure this was the strangest kid he had ever seen. He felt guilty for thinking badly of him, but the boy was barefoot for Pete's sake! And the walking stick in his hand was taller than him, looking rough and gangly, curled into a hook at the top. Steve smiled stiffly. This kid appeared out of nowhere. In this new life is there_anything_ normal?

"See, Capsicle? I'm not _that_ crazy." yet. Tony shifted, eyes glancing between the two. If Steve thought the kid was a threat, then there was no question SHIELD would dig their noses into this. Steve may be a good guy, a friend almost, but he had made it clear that his responsibility was to SHIELD on more than one occasion. Tony took a casual step closer to Jack. He liked the kid, and couldn't deny that he'd helped him out a bit. But he'd be torn I it came down to it. That was why Tony liked to have his own side, he wouldn't have to bother with choosing.

"Might I ask how you know Tony?" Steve questioned. His words were light but his eyes were sharp.

"He's a fan." Tony lied, slinging his arm around Jack's shoulder, hiding his look of surprise at the cold touch. He was a good liar, smooth and confident. A fan? Jack glared at the billionaire, silently vowing to give him crap for that later.

"Yeah. _Huge_ fan." why was he lying anyway? He wasn't embarrassed about who he was. He was proud. He _should_ be proud. Maybe it was because he was afraid. Of what, he wasn't sure. Being hated? Being treated like a crazy person? Fear. He was surrendering to fear.

"No."

Tony and Steve blinked in surprise as Jack ducked out from under the billionaire's arm. He raised his staff, backing away from them, eyes wary. Steve's jaw clenched. He suddenly very aware of the window behind the white-haired boy. Could he shatter that?_Would_ he? Steve made a move and Jack pinned his staff down and flipped up in a panic, crouching on the hook defensively, lip curled and eyes narrowed.

"I'm not a fan, and I'm not a kid." he announced sharply, "I'm Jack. Jack Frost."

**Annndddd cliffhanger. Sorry T.T I couldn't continue after dropping that bomb hehe :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Finally another chapter. I'm sorryplease don't hate me T.T this is just a short one before the action picks up**

* * *

Tony was the first to recover.

"Really?" he taunted, " The 70's one or the Snowman?" Jack didn't know what he meant by that but it didn't sound funny. His lip curled as he shifted his position on top of his staff. The room temperature was rapidly dropping as he became angrier, sharp tendrils of frost swallowing the windows. Tony payed no mind, pacing in a lazy circle around Steve. The frost caught his eye and Jack took a calming breath.

"You can laugh all you want." he sighed with a shrug, irritation still barely visible under his expression, "But you believe." Tony scowled, not quite sure what that meant. Believed what? That this kid was crazy? There was a brief moment of silence.

"JARVIS?" Tony asked smoothly, casting a glance at the ceiling, "how's my schedule?"

"Rather clear, Sir."

"Good. Pencil me in for a trip to the mental institution. I have someone to drop off." Jack's jaw clenched. This guy was worse than the kangaroo! He had forgotten what adults could be like. They think they're so mature. Tony Stark, was it? Sarcastic and arrogant, that's what he is.

Steve cast a scolding look on Tony's direction, stepping forward hesitantly.

"You mean..." he was piecing his words together carefully, afraid of hitting a nerve, "You think you're Jack Frost?" The name wasn't as familiar during Steve's time; there were no songs that called to his memory, no Christmas specials. Steve had gone to the pictures to see Christmas films before, but they were brief and didn't much of an impression. "Like...Old Man Winter?"

"Okay, _what?_ I'm _not_ an old man." Well actually…that was debatable, "And I don't think anything. I know who I am." Not an old man by any means. He was still young on the outside and, though he had grown inside, his spirit was still the same as that grinning kid with wild brown hair. There was a pang in Jack's heart as he recalled watching the memory. It had been strange to watch it, because Jack knew that was him on that lake, his sister. But the feeling wasn't there. He didn't feel the fear, the happiness in his own face's smile. It was like watching a movie play out instead of his own death.

Steve watched him curiously. Jack couldn't shake the feeling that he recognized this guy, not the blonde pretty-boy hair, but his voice and the way he held himself was vaguely familiar. He had a certain...authority. It was a natural authority that reminded him of North.

"How old _are_ you, then?" Steve asked, lips pressed into a tight line. Jack stared into his eyes. They were honest and trustworthy, and somehow warm despite being deep blue. He'd never been in a situation like this. Why not take a chance? He was good in high-risk situations. Jack hopped down from his perch and flipped his staff up into his hand.

"I'd say 300. Give or take a few years."

Steve sputtered.

"Three _hundred_?"

"Damn, he's got you beat, Sleeping Beauty." Tony was inspecting them both, eyebrow raised. A part of him was still saying that this was ridiculous, while another was reminding him that the Avengers had spent their first family outing fighting a God with daddy issues. Steve twitched at the name Sleeping Beauty. Leave it to Stark to turn this into a joke. Still...Thinking about himself and all he'd been through he thought that maybe, just maybe, this wasn't entirely impossible. But what is Jack Frost? He couldn't think of a way to ask that wasn't rude.

"What did you-I mean what-"

"_Am I?_" Jack interrupted, rolling his eyes, "Winter spirit? Mischief maker?" _Guardian_? He shrugged. Tony looked him up and down, considering. The kid was tall and scrawny, his blue sweatshirt slightly frosted and his brown pants worn and ragged. His hair stuck up in every direction as though the kid had never even seen a brush before. And it was white. Not that cheap bleached look either, but eerily natural with darker roots that seemed slightly grey. He looked like a Christmas Special. Tony grinned. What was another misfit among misfits?

* * *

They were ugly things. Creatures of darkness. Smooth black with stream-lined streaks of white and an ashy grey tongue. The white bindings hung over them limply and lay perfectly still on the table, just waiting for someone to make the first move. _Sneakers_.

"I am _not_ wearing those." Jack vowed, eyeing the shoes warily as though they might jump up to get him.

"My tower, my rules."

"Seriously, not happening."

"I bought the damn shoes and you're gonna wear them." Tony shot back firmly, arms crossed. A glaring contest ensued as the billionaire and the winter spirit refused to give in, staring each other down.

"How did you even know what size I wear?" Jack didn't even know.

"JARVIS had a pretty good guess." Ah, JARVIS, that's right. Jack had grown to enjoy the AI's presence, usually finding the voice of the tower an interesting companion. It had been nearly a week since he and Tony had fought side by side against the drone, and the young guardian visited often, for hours at a time. Sometimes Steve was there, but mostly it was just Tony. The billionaire let him wander the lab as he worked, fixing this and that and scrutinizing every detail of the scraps of drone that were left. He was trying to figure out what caused it to go haywire but somehow he couldn't find anything wrong.

The drone took up a lot of his attention but that didn't mean that he was letting Jack off the hook. Tony tested his body temperature, his flight speed, and even had him try his hand against the combat simulator.

"Don't I need socks or something anyway?" Jack narrowly avoided the floppy white abominations Tony sent sailing his way. They dropped to the floor like a cheap stuffed rabbit.

"Anything else, Freeze-Pop?"

Jack rolled his eyes.

"Why the sudden interest in my footwear, Tin Can." It was their usual banter, full of nicknames and cheap comebacks. The two got along about as well as a grown man and a winter spirit could, and when they really got going it was a sight to see.

"Because I'm going upstairs, and there is no way I'm leaving you unsupervised."

Jack blinked in surprise. Aside from when Tony had tried to hide him from Steve he'd never been on any of the other floors. The first time Jack had reluctantly returned to the tower JARVIS directed him to the lab where the billionaire was hard at work, and ever since Jack had never strayed the path. He was curious about everything but he wasn't comfortable enough to explore yet. Going upstairs?

"Isn't it customary to have shoes _off_ in the house?"

"Not when the shoes are cleaner than your feet." Tony shot back, "Seriously kid, they have this wonderful new invention called a _shower_. You should try it."

"Can't" Jack answered, shrugging, "Freeze-Pop, remember?"

Tony shrugged, the excuse rolling off him. He'd get that kid to wear shoes one way or another. Tony Stark was in full stubborn mode, and Jack was proving to be a worthy opponent. The young guardian was twirling his staff lazily, pacing around like he owned the place. Jack was a champion at arguing and he felt pretty confident. Blue eyes narrowed against brown.

"Isn't Christmas in a few days, don't you have some magic snow ritual to perform?" Tony demanded lightly.

"Man, how many days has it been since you last went outside? It's a winter wonderland out there." Jack paused and glanced back at the sneakers lying dejectedly on the table. "Still not touching those things."

"oh _really_?" Let the games begin.


	6. Author's Note!

**Hello darlings! Sorry this isn't an update yet ^^' I've been wrestling with where to take the story from here but I definitely want to start bringing in a villain. The story will start to get more serious from there, but I'll still inject the occasional dose of comedy XD anyway, my question to you is what kind of villain you want. I was leaning towards Pitch but I also had an idea for a bramd new force of evil. I unfortunately don't see bringing Loki in but who knows, he could make an appearance. If anyone has questions or wants to follow knews on the latest updates my tumblr URL is ****_mischievous-frost_**

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The next chapter will be up in a day or so, just going through the final editing! :)


	7. Chapter 6

**THIS UPDATE WAS A NIGHTMARE.** **I hope You guys like it! ALSO! Shameless self promotion time: My tumblr username is still Mishievous-Frost and I just got a twitter the username is Ensign_P_Chekov. Just so you know I don't have a beta for this story so let me know if you see any spelling errors!**

**WARNING FOR VIOLENCE AND STUFFS**

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Jack was wearing shoes. They were tight and uncomfortable and just so _wrong_.

"I hate you."

"I know." Tony answered, busy collecting an arm load of electronics. The sneakers were covered in a layer of frost already, leaving the once black cloth a dusty grey color. Jack edged back and forth across the floor, stepping like a cat in water.

"If I may make a suggestion, Mister Frost; relaxing will make the experience more enjoyable." JARVIS advised gently.

"_Mister Frost_?" Jack sputtered, making a face. He momentarily forgot about his sneaker dilemma and began arguing with the AI, trying to get on the first name basis. _No, don't call me sir either. Why can't you just call me Jack? But that's my name!_ Tony tuned them out as he gathered the last of his Stark Pads and tucked them under his arm, making his way to the elevator.

"Hey, Freeze-pop!" he called, rolling his eyes, "Let's go." Jack froze mid-argument and scowled, hurrying after him and wincing with each step. He knelt to retie a loose lace as the doors slid closed then he stood, leaning his staff against his shoulder.

"I _really_ hate you."

"They're just shoes; man up."

"Hey, I've gone 300 years without shoes. I shouldn't have to wear 'em just because a whiny billionaire doesn't want a speck of dirt in his carpet." He paused before letting out a little chuckle, "besides, you could just buy a new carpet if you wanted to. Heck, you could buy a whole_carpet store_."

"Yeah, but I don't want to be the one who has to explain to Pepper why there are footprints all over the tower." Pepper? Jack frowned but pressed forward in the argument;

"I don't even _leave_ footprints!"

"Can't take that chance." truthfully Tony just liked messing with him. The doors slid open and the billionaire strode out onto his favorite floor of the tower. It still smelled slightly new from the repairs after Loki's attack, brand new windows glinting brightly.

Jack glanced around, eyes wide. It was unlike anything he'd seen before; luxurious and expensive and _huge_. It opened to a large couch, rounded in a half circle with a large flat screen TV on the wall. The floor was covered in shockingly white carpet, and in the corner a bar stood elaborately coated in stone. Just outside the windows Jack could see a large balcony with what almost looked like a landing pad. It was covered by a slight layer of snow, and Christmas lights were strung along the balcony rails. It was_amazing_.

"What do you _do _for a living?" Jack blurted in awe.

"Pretty much everything. Lately I've been getting into the clean energy business." Jack simply circled the room, a faint smile of wonder on his lips. Tony watched him, trying to ignore the fondness he was feeling. Instead he busied himself by throwing several holograms up into the air, an explosion of blue light that showed the technical data for the entire tower. Jack blinked and turned his attention to the lights.

"Woa..."

"JARVIS, have you finished the program scan?"

"Yes, sir. No malfunctions were detected." Jack frowned again.

"Malfunctions?"

Tony waved a hand dismissively,

"Nothing to worry about. JARVIS has just been getting some weird readings around the tower." That was bad, right? Tony had been trying to teach Jack some technology lingo and, though he picked it up remarkably quickly, he was still getting used to it all. He swung his staff lazily as he wandered around the room, studying everything. It wasn't North's workshop but ...the tower was amazing in its own way.

"JARVIS," Tony muttered, flicking his fingers at the hologram that hovered above him, "expand that." he went on, lost in his work as Jack slowly drifted away, walking along the windows. A shadow had caught his eye, a faint smudge in the white carpet. It looked almost like a shadow. Why was Tony so worried about footprints on the carpet if it already had stains? He probably just liked to be annoying. The track led to a closed sliding door. Jack grabbed the handle and heaved it open a crack. Tony's head snapped up.

"What'd I tell you about rooftops, Frosty."

"Chill out, I'm just looking around." Tony fixed him with a long look, apparently searching for any signs of a lie before he broke into a pained grin.

"That pun was so bad that it physically hurt me." Jack sent a shot of ice at him that the billionaire narrowly avoided. He swore before giving Jack the middle finger. The winter spirit laughed and returned to his exploration. Tony was different from the guardians. Of course Jack loved them; they were his _family_, but it was nice to be treated like an adult. Or…sort of.

Tony was droning on to JARVIS and the winter spirit was trying to ignore them when suddenly there was a soft tap on the window. Frowning, Jack inched towards it. What floor were they on...? The ground seemed so far away. The tiny knock sounded again and Jack blinked in surprise.

"_Baby Tooth?_" the little fairy nodded vigorously from the other side of the glass, lips tilted into a brilliant smile. Jack let out a small laugh that Tony either chose to ignore or simply didn't notice. He tugged the door open the rest of the way to welcome her in but the tiny creature darted back a bit. Jack followed, grinning, staff in one hand and the other reaching, palm to the sky.

"Where have you been?" he asked, though he knew he wouldn't understand her answer. He felt a rush of warmth at the sight of her; it'd been too long since he'd visited the Tooth Palace. With winter in full swing he'd been busy the last few months. The fairy let out a series of small cheerful sounds almost like the twittering of a bird as she fluttered about him. She was slowly nearing the edge of the balcony, Jack still following, the snow tickling his ankles. Suddenly-with a flash of a smile-Baby Tooth dive-bombed off the balcony and out of sight. Jack literally staggered in shock, shooting a lightening quick glance at Tony (who was still distracted) before taking to the sky on the fairy's heels.

"Hey-where are you going?"

They darted along the edge of the tower, Jack coasting gracefully along the windows, straining to see the flash of green ahead of him. He pulled up as he approached the ground, landing with a small stumble, scanning the area. The sidewalk was bustling with people, bundled in their plush coats with arms full of their Christmas shopping bags. A woman strolled towards him and in a flash of blue she strode through him without batting an eyelash. Jack winced, hugging his arms to himself for a half second, his hand instinctively tightening on his staff. He had gotten so used to being seen around the tower, so used to _existing_that he had almost forgotten what it was like to be invisible. There was a soft twittering sound and Jack snapped out of is trance, hurrying into the darkened space between the tower and another building as he followed the sound.

Baby Tooth was hovering there, smiling. Jack let his lips tilt into a grin as he approached.

"What are you doing?" He laughed, "Causing trouble again? Does Tooth know you're here?" There was a chilling feeling that he couldn't explain, creeping over him and making his smile seem stiff and frightened. Something inside him seemed to scream _run, fly, get away. _Baby Tooth's smile was sinister.

"What are you…?"

"You really are so gullible, Jack." A smooth voice murmured from somewhere behind him. It was like black velvet, soft and dark, "I must admit; I'm a bit disappointed." Jack snapped into a defensive crouch, staff ready, whirling around in a quick circle. The shadows were writhing up from the pavement, pulsing like thick tendrils. They rose up to block his way out, swallowing the sky and leaving him in blackness. From the wall of shadows a face slowly breached the surface as Pitch stepped into the alleyway. Jack's eyes narrowed, lips curled into something like a snarl. 'Baby Tooth' melted into a pile of sludge. It had been a trick; he'd been lured away to die. The shadows around him gave a voice to his thoughts:

"_I'm going to die, I'm going to die_." They chanted, and when Jack looked at them it almost seemed like there were eyes shining in the darkness.

"They're fearlings, Jack." Pitch supplied, smiling dangerously. His voice was different from the last time they'd faced each other. It was still that smooth accented sound but there was a venom in it that dripped from every word. The darkness had eaten him alive in that hole and he'd drowned in them, _soaked _until they took him over completely like a puppet on strings. He stalked forwards, darkness dripping off him like tar and eyes glinting like daggers. Jack stumbled away and Pitch simply smiled, lips curling up to reveal sharp razor-like teeth.

"We can feel it," he whispered, "Your fear." In a burst of adrenaline and desperation Jack swung his staff with a wild roar. Black tendrils shot out and grabbed his wrists mid-swing, tightening like vises until Jack was screaming in agony, his fingers going weak and dropping his staff to the pavement. The tendrils drew back and Jack staggered for a moment, rubbing his wrists tenderly. Laughter rippled through the darkness as the fearlings watched in anticipation, feeding off Jack's pain.

"Where are your Guardians now, Jack?" Pitch demanded as fearlings sprang at the winter spirit, sharp teeth tearing at flesh.

"_I'm going to die."_ They hissed, reading into his thoughts. Pitch smiled at that, enjoying it,_tasting_ it. He was a monster now, and Jack couldn't see anything of the man he once was. The fearlings drew blood from his arms and legs and

"You left me, Jack." Pitch said slowly, "left me in that hole to die. But don't worry; I won't kill you. No…I want to _break_ you." At that more fearlings lunged from the darkness, melting around Jack even as he swatted at them and struggled. His staff was blanketed in a wave of shadows and Jack searched for it desperately.

"Stop!" He shouted furiously. No ice came to his aid, no sharp blast of frost. He was powerless. Could he use his abilities without his staff? He'd never tried and he'd already convinced himself it was impossible. Shadows constricted him, made it hard to breathe as they melted over him, biting and tearing as they tore him to the ground. Pitch was laughing, a bone-chilling unhinged sound that echoed with the pounding in Jack's ears. The man strode a step forward.

"Had enough yet?"

Jack smirked, struggling to hold his head up.

"You're a coward." the winter spirit spat. Pitch's eyes tightened and with an angry snarl he lifted one foot and brought it down and Jack's leg. _Crack. _ Jack let out a blood-curdling scream, curling in on himself, clutching at his ankle. For what seemed like forever there was only pain. The fearlings were like piranhas swarming over him. Yet strangely everything seemed to be far away, like he was trapped inside his own head. It should hurt. He should still be screaming. He should be in _agony_. But instead everything seemed to be dimming and becoming hazy. _Shock,_ a voice whispered in his head, _You're in shock. _

Pitch was still saying something, his lips were moving but Jack couldn't make out the words over the ringing in his ears. His thoughts were all jumbled, fluttering around wildly in disconnected ideas. North? Bunny? Tooth? Sandy? He couldn't breathe. Steve? Tony? Jamie? He lay crumpled in a broken heap, and somewhere in the darkness the glint of blood red caught his eye. As everything faded out a single thought managed to piece itself together.

_ At least I didn't get anything on the carpet. _


End file.
